1. Field
An ice maker and a refrigerator having the same are disclosed herein.
2. Background
A refrigerator is a home appliance that stores food at a low temperature in an internal storage space. The internal storage space may be cooled using cool air generated by heat exchange of a refrigerant circulated through a refrigeration cycle. Refrigerators have become bigger and may include many functions based on demand, and refrigerators with various structures and equipment for user convenience are being released.
For example, an ice maker configured to make and store ice may be provided in a refrigerator at a position such as, e.g., inside a freezer compartment door. Various types of the ice maker may include an ice maker that automatically manufactures, separates, and stores ice, and extracts the stored ice. A refrigerator having this type of ice maker may able to extract or dispense ice out of the refrigerator through a dispenser. In addition, a refrigerator may have an ice maker type that counts and extracts a desired number of pieces of the stored ice through the dispenser according to a user's selection.
Referring to FIG. 1, an ice maker 10 of related art may include an ice tray 11, an ice separation motor 13 and an ejector 12. The ice tray 11 may be a tray that provides a space for ice and may be formed into a semicircular shape, in which an inside lower surface thereof may have a constant curvature. The ice separation motor 13 may be provided on one side of the ice tray 11, connected to the ejector 12, and may rotate the ejector 12. The ejector 12 may be rotated along a curved surface of an ice space formed by an inner surface of the ice tray 11.
When ice is formed in the ice tray 11, the ice separation motor 13 may transfer a rotational power or force to the ejector 12, and, while being rotated, the ejector 12 may lift and discharge the ice in the ice tray 11 out of the tray 11. However, the ice maker 10 may not properly transfer ice out of the ice maker 10.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, during an ice separation process by the ejector 12 after ice formation is completed, ice may not be discharged out by rotation of the ejector 12 and may be left on a rear end of the ice tray 11. When the ejector 12 rotates to separate ice later, the ejector 12 may then be damaged or rotation of the ejector 12 may be stopped due to interference of the ice left on the ice tray 11.